Tied
by xXUsEdXx
Summary: Lisbeth is not quite sure what to make of waking up to something quite unusual. But maybe this is a blessing in disguise. -MinatoxOC familial and the title is subject to change-
1. Encounter of the 4th Kind

This was absolutely wrong. Waking up, I realized one thing:

One of these things just doesn't belong here.

That "thing" was sitting on my desk chair and leaned forward slightly. "I'm not here to hurt you," he said calmly, blue eyes holding my eyes. I inhaled deeply…

…and let out a glass-shattering screech.

"Hey! Calm down!" he exclaimed, but I continued to scream as though he were physically attacking me while scrambling to edge away from him on my bed, the strap of my white, silk night dress falling down my arm. Before I even blinked, I felt his hand slam down over my mouth to stifle my scream, his other hand grabbing my upper arm tightly. "I am not here to hurt you. Understand? I just…don't know how I got here."

Ceasing my muffled shrieking, I stared long and hard at him while he slowly removed his hand. "Are you calm now?" he asked only to receive my fist to his face, knocking him away from me.

"H-Holy shit, you are flesh and blood!" I gasped, my eyes widening, my hand still in its fist.

"That didn't mean you had to hit me!" he yelled, not looking as calm as he was earlier.

"How do you expect me to react?! A _fictional character who died _is in my _bedroom_!"

"…I'm dead?"

"Oh, for the love of God!"

Closing my eyes, I placed two fingers against my temple, massaging, to stem the oncoming headache of the sheer absurdity of my current situation.

"Who are you anyway?" he asked me.

"…Lisbeth. And I already know who you are," I lifted my eyes to meet his own, "Minato Namikaze."

Minato studied me, as if trying to catch me in a lie. "So there's no need for me to introduce myself, then."

"No, not really," I said, brushing my long bangs from my face. "Any idea how you got here, by chance?"

"Your guess would be about as good as mine at this point, Lisbeth," Minato replied. "I happened to be in a middle of a mission."

I gave him a skeptical look. "A mission, huh? And you're not gonna divulge the information to me?"

"No."

"I thought so."

"Are you always this mouthy after screaming like that?" he asked me, a small smile gracing his features.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Not usually. Then again, it's not every day I get random fictional characters in my bedroom who, by the way, have died in the line of duty in the beginning of the series and doesn't get revealed until one hundred and something chapters in," I answered before climbing out of my bed and storming to my kitchen. I heard him follow me.

"Are you hungry or anything?" I asked him, suddenly in the mood for an omelet. I headed to the fridge to get the eggs. I heard the chair scrape on my floor before Minato answered, "No."

I shrugged, grabbing the eggs from my fridge and heading to the stove to grab the necessary tools to make my omelet.

"How old are you, Lisbeth?" Minato asked suddenly. I turned slowly. "I'm twenty."

"Twenty? Really?"

"Why do you sound so shocked?"

"You look younger than twenty. Maybe fifteen."

I gave him a deadpanned expression, which he returned to with a grin.

"I'm not sure if you're trying to be nice or just trying to get smacked in the face again…" I muttered before turning my attention to making my omelet, ignoring his chuckle.

"You're an interesting person, Lisbeth."

"…Call me Lis."

"Lis?"

"That's what most people call me."

"I see."

I smiled a little, but didn't let him see. This just seemed to be really amusing. But I wasn't going to let the ninja know that. "We should lay down some ground rules, though."

"And that would be…?" Minato asked.

"You're not going out in public wearing your ninja gear," I answered, finishing making my omelet and putting it on my plate. "No one wears that unless they're cosplaying and trust me, people will look at you weird."

"Then how am I going to walk around in public?" he asked me.

"You'll wear some of my brother's stuff. I figure you guys are about the same height."

"Will we be expecting him soon?"

"…No."

I realized too late my answer sounded forced, but I was glad that Minato didn't push it. Huh, maybe what the internet said was true…

I carried my omelet to the table and sat down. "You sure you don't want anything?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow. Minato shook his head. "No, you go ahead and eat," he said before grinning. "After all, you must have worked up an appetite after screaming so much."

I was going to punch this ninja in the face again one of these days…


	2. Start of the Day

"You can borrow anything here of my brother's," I said, pulling some clothes out from the closet in my brother's room and putting them on the bed before looking to Minato. He was looking around at the walls covered with posters of rock bands like Metallica and ACDC. "Don't mind the posters, my brother loved these old rock groups," I told him.

"I see," Minato said before coming to me to look at the clothes. I pulled out the black bottoms and the white tops. My brother, he was always so monochromatic…

"You're brother seems to like these…rock band shirts," Minato commented.

"Yeah, well, what can you do?" I shrugged. "I'm just showing you what type of stuff my brother wore."

"Right." Minato grabbed one of the shirts that had the logo for Metallica. "This one has the same logo as that poster," he said, his eyes flickering to the poster.

"Oh, the Metallica logo? That band was my brother's favorite; he searched high and low for all their songs on records and a couple of CDs. He didn't want to do download from the Internet like a normal person," I explained.

"Internet?" he asked.

"Right, you guys don't really have that where you're from, do you?" I face-palmed. "Okay, uh…first change out of your ninja get-up and then I'll show you the power of the Internet."

"Fine," Minato replied and I left the room, shutting the door behind me. I went to my MacBook, sitting there on sleep mode since I hardly turned it off; especially for school projects where I would pull all-nighters on days where I didn't have work. I touched the mouse pad on my laptop and woke it up before typing in my password. How ironic that my wallpaper is a Naruto one…maybe I should change it before freaking out the ninja from said anime. I shrugged before minimizing my power point and launching Safari at the same time I heard the door open. I turned around.

Minato was wearing the Metallica shirt and the black pants and my brother's black gym shoes. The shirt was short-sleeved, but apparently the ninja liked his arm cloth thing-a-ma-jig. I tilted my head, hands on my hips, studying him. "Huh…you look like my brother," I said. Minato raised an eyebrow at me. "Did your brother happen to be blonde?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, yes he was. But he didn't have your type of hair, though," I said, tapping my index finger against my cheek. "I could tell you straight up that my brother looked like mama—she was blonde-and I look like my old man."

"Well, dark hair suits you. I don't see you as a blonde."

"Thanks for the compliment. I think. You want to see the powerful Internet or what?"

He nodded and I motioned him to come over to where I stood by the computer. I typed in the web address to Google. "This is a website. This one is a popular search engine. You can find out any and everything," I told him.

"Really? Can it find out how I get here?" Minato asked.

"I don't reckon so," I answered, raising my eyebrow.

"Then it can't find everything, can it?"

"Why are challenging Google? This situation hasn't happened before so Google doesn't have all the answers."

Minato closed his eyes and smirked at me before crossing his arms. I glared at him.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"Right." I left Google open since I knew I was going to use it later, moving to my room. "I'm gonna change and then we're gonna go and see the sights."

"Take your time," Minato said. I rolled my eyes before shutting my bedroom door. Well, at least he wasn't a pervert—from what I can tell, anyway. Sighing, I grabbed my hooded black shirt and a pair of my favorite jeans. Taking off my nightgown, I found my black undershirt in my drawer and pulled it on before putting on my clothes. Grabbing my black boots and putting them on, I grabbed my brush and ran it through my hair. I grabbed my keys and my wallet and put them in my pocket before opening my bedroom door and walking out. "Ready?" I asked him.

"Yeah," Minato answered. I smiled and we both were heading out the door. I made sure it was locked before I lead the way out to the bright sun and noisy city street.

"Welcome to my home town," I laughed at his shocked face.

"This place is much larger than Konoha…" Minato said, awe in his voice. I looked at him. "Konoha isn't as big as it seems?"

"Not even close," he replied, meeting my eyes. I found myself smiling again. "Well, you're lucky you met me then. I'll show you around. Not the entire place of course, but as much as we can see," I said. "Let's go."

We started down the street and I began pointing out the convenience stores and restaurants that dotted along our path. "That's Starbucks. It's expensive but the Frappuccino are delicious," I said, pointing at the Starbuck's logo on the window across the street.

"Frappuccino?" Minato gave me a questioning look. My smiled widened just a bit before I held out my hand. The questioning look became a little more intense before his eyes flickered from my hand to my face.

"Oh, come on, it's not like I'm going to drag you to the bottom of the lake," I said grabbing his hand before pulling him near the curb, looking both ways.

Minato sounded a little confused when he asked, "What are you doing?"

"_We_," I emphasized, "are gonna jay-walk."

"Jay-walk?"

I smiled back at him before leading him across the street when it was clear. I let his hand go right when we made it in front of the Starbucks. "That, sir, was a jay-walk," I said. Minato's expression was of dawning comprehension. "So, we didn't walk between the white lines like everyone else did," he replied.

I laughed. "Exactly. Now come on. You're trying a Frappuccino."

We walked into the not-very-crowded Starbucks (thank God) and I lead the way to the counter. "Two strawberry and cream Frappuccino, please," I told the Barista.

"Strawberry and cream?" Minato crossed his arms.

"It's really good. I recommend it," I said. "Come on, we have to go to the other side of the counter to get the Fraps."

We walked to where we were to get the Frappuccino and another Barista handed them to me. I handed one to Minato. "Careful, it can be cold."

"Is this like an ice cream?" Minato asked me.

"You see the straw. Take a sip and tell me what you think," I answered before taking a sip of my own. I loved this flavor just because I loved strawberries. Minato sighed before taking a sip of the Frappuccino through the straw. I gave him an expectant stare. "Well?"

"…It's good," he said.

"Glad you like it." I beamed. "Now let's go. We got plenty to see and all day to do so."


	3. Beginning of an End

_Chapter 3! I'm on a roll with this one! Oh, I found the theme for this fic. It's called "The Beast" by Lena Katina. Youtube it. XD_

* * *

"Come on, you haven't even seen the subways yet!"

Minato gave me a skeptical look. "Subways?"

I smiled at him before pointing at the stairways leading to the blue line. "Right up there."

"What are they, Lisbeth?" Minato asked me.

"You need to hurry up so I can show you!" I ran to the stairs, vaguely aware of hearing his footsteps, hearing him picking up the pace to catch up to me even among the noise of people. I grabbed the railing to hurl myself up the stairs, looking back to see Minato attempting to catch up with me.

"Come on, Yellow Flash! We're almost there!" I called back to him. "Try and beat me to the top of the stairs!"

I barely caught the smirk on his face, but the minute those words escaped my lips, wind rushed past me, blowing some of my hair forward. My eyes went wide, looking at Minato's back. He glanced back at me from the top of the stairwell, the smirk evident now.

He really is fast.

I ran, right to the top of the stairs right beside him. "Jeez, you really are a ninja."

He laughed. "I'm not well-known for being slow."

I shook my head before getting back to the task at hand. "Come on. I bet it's coming!" I told him. I reached into my pocket, grabbing my wallet and taking out two cards before handing one to him. "You'll need it to get past this thing," I said, pointing at the steel wheel. Minato nodded. I went first.

"Watch." I inserted my U-Pass into the slot, waited for the ENTER to glow, and walked through. I looked back at him and gestured him to come by waving my hand. He inserted the card like I had and waited before walking through the bars like I did. I beamed before walking onto the platform that was crowded with people. No one noticed us.

"It should be coming soon," I said.

"What is?" he asked me, frowning only a bit.

I smiled. "Wait for it."

I felt the rumble of the train and I'm sure he did to because he moved near me as if danger was coming. I chuckled softly.

The silver CTA train rushed before slowing down to a stop. I laughed at the wide-eyed look Minato had as he stared the train as people spilled out onto the platform.

"You look like a kid," I told him.

"We never had trains like this," he replied, glancing at me.

"You mean, you guys had the old caboose-type trains, right?"

"Pretty much."

"We still have them. They're the annoying atrocities we call _freight trains_."

"How are they annoying?"

"You try waiting behind one for an hour and half and get back to me."

The train began to drive off, a gust of wind picking up, and away it went. I looked at Minato and beamed.

"And _that_, my dear, is a subway."

He sent me a questioning look. "Can we get on one?"

"Where the hell do you wanna go that's by train?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Does it matter?"

The tone of voice he had made me realize very quickly that he wasn't going to drop it.

"Okay, fine. Whatever you want," I said, raising my hands up in surrender. Minato smirked in a way I didn't like. "…You knew I would concede, didn't you?"

"Just about."

"You are the worst."

"Now, now, you know that isn't true."

How in the hell did he know that?

I crossed my arms. "Always have to have the last word, no?"

"No. It just seems that way with you, Lis," Minato said.

"Just be glad I won't punch you in the face one day."

"I don't think you'd manage that."

"And how do you know? I gave you a right hook this morning."

"You caught me off guard. You've seen how fast I can be not too long ago to know it won't happen again."

I huffed moodily. "Point taken."

Minato laughed as if my two-worded comment amused him. I rolled my eyes, but inside…for some reason, I felt happy about this. It wasn't any fuzzy, romantic happy, but just happy. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a group of guys walking in our direction. The one in the front, dressed in red and black, met my eyes and I saw a look of recognition flash in them.

"Hey, you're that cop's sister," he said as he and his gang approached me. I flinched.

"Yeah, man, she is," said the guy on his left. "Your bro got one of our guys arrested."

I tried not to flinch again. These guys were familiar now.

"Lisbeth, what are they talking about?" asked Minato and I could feel him looking at me. I couldn't answer him, couldn't refute what these guys were saying, couldn't say a damn thing. My voice was caught deep in my throat, refusing to come out.

"You her man?" asked the nameless leader guy.

"What he is to me isn't the point here, is it?" I spat out at last, glaring at the group. "If you had any decency, you'd keep people who aren't involved out of it."

"Oh, look, she's sticking up for her man!" The leader grabbed me by the wrist, jerking me away from Minato.

"Let go of me!" I snapped, trying to shake him off.

"Lis!" Minato made a move to pull me back, but the guy's friends blocked him.

"We wanted to pay your cop brother back, but he's dead and gone," the guy said, tightening his grip on my wrist. Raw panic filled my heart, my eyes flickering between him and Minato, who wanted to do something, but I knew he didn't want to risk freaking out the public.

_Fuck._

"Say hey to your bro for us," the guy said before throwing me in the direction of the tracks. I felt my feet leave the platform, falling. Everything seemed to slow down, my mind going numb, body going cold. I could hear the train, its horn muffled by the sound of rushing wind as I seemed to fall in slow motion…

"Lisbeth!"

I felt arms around me, a cold rush of wind, and I could see a blur. It looked so familiar…

"A…drian…?" I heard myself breathe before darkness swirled around my vision and I slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Damn, it be short...oh well. Review ^-^_


	4. Tempers

_This ones a bit shorter than I'd like. Don't worry, they will get longer...hopefully._

* * *

I blinked only once, before shutting my eyes again. The light bothered me…

Wait. Light?

I opened my eyes again, squinting, the light burning my sensitive eyes. I heard an exhale of breath.

"You're awake."

I looked to my right, seeing relieved blue eyes. "Minato…? Where am I?"

Minato leaned against the back of a chair. "Home," he replied. "You were out the entire day."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

I racked my brain, but then I got a splitting headache. I heard Minato sigh again before saying, "Lisbeth, you were thrown from the train platform."

Thrown…train platform…"Oh…those guys…who wanted revenge on my brother…" I whispered.

"Is that who Adrian is?" asked Minato.

I shot up, staring at him with wide eyes. "How did you-"

"You called me Adrian after I saved you."

"Oh…Oh God, I'm sorry."

Minato waved his hand to dismiss the apology. "I'm not after an apology. You went into shock. I can understand that." He lifted his eyes to mine and I bit my lip at how serious he looked. "What I don't understand," he continued more slowly, "was that why you didn't say he was dead."

I looked away in a feeble attempt to regain whatever composure I had. "Would it have made a difference?"

"Possibly."

"My issue about Adrian isn't your concern."

"It does if it puts you in danger. I'm not the type of person to let someone innocent be hurt."

I glared at him and I surprised myself at the sudden hostility I felt the minute he said that to me. "Who do you do think you are? You don't know me enough to call my innocent in any way! How dare you, of all people, say that me?!" I snapped at him. Minato was silent, unflinching at my words, and it made me want to punch him, want to hurt him in whatever way possible.

"I may not know you well, but you're easy to read, Lisbeth. It doesn't take genius for that," he said.

With a growl, I forced myself off the bed and he stood up. Blood rushed to my head and I swayed a bit before Minato placed his hands on my shoulder to steady me.

"Let go." I shoved him away from me. I didn't look at him, couldn't look at him. Not after this, whatever the hell it was.

"Lis. I can't help you if you don't talk to me," Minato said.

"I don't want help! There's nothing wrong, okay?" I replied, anger seeping into my tone before I stormed off into the kitchen.

What was the matter with me? Why was I getting so angry? I didn't understand it…

No. No I did understand it. It was clear, even now as I stand by the sink, my hands gripping the edges. I was angry that I let the past catch up to me again. What was worst was that I took it out on Minato and he didn't deserve it. But, as I always did, whenever someone gets near that old wound in an attempt to understand what happened, I got very nasty. I didn't want anyone to understand, not now, maybe even ever.

I tensed when I heard footsteps behind me. The silence was tense, made cold by my hostility not so long ago. My grip on the sink tightened.

"Are you calm now?" asked Minato. I dared not look back at him.

"Do I look calm to you?" I answered, my knuckles turning white.

"No. You look like you're going to break something."

"It's my apartment. I can break whatever the fuck I want."

"And what would that accomplish?"

"You know, that attempt to try and make me seem unreasonable is really starting to piss me off," I growled turning to glare at him. Minato didn't match my glare with one of his own, but his serious expression could have very well scared the anger right out of me. That didn't mean I was going to back down.

"It has something to do with your brother, doesn't it?" Minato asked. "It's something you can't get over and you just keep the negative feelings inside."

"What, so now you're Dr. Phil?" I ignored his confused look. "Look, granted you didn't deserve me snapping on you like that, but I don't need you to Freud me."

"I still have no idea what you're going on about."

"Good, that means my powers of confusions are working."

Another silence hung between us, but it wasn't cold after what I just said. As a matter of fact, Minato put a hand to his mouth to stifle laughter. I crossed my arms. "What?"

"Powers of confusions? Really?"

"…Oh, I knew you were gonna go there."

I couldn't stay mad though. I felt the smile on my face before realizing I was doing it. "You're just something else, getting me to calm down."

"Well, I wouldn't be able to talk to you while you're busy being a hothead."

"Isn't that your type? Like, oh, Kushina Uzumaki-san?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I know everything."

"So you know Kushina's a hothead."

"Please, that woman scares me more than you on your good days."

Minato made a face at that.

"What? Women can be scary. Haven't you ever wondered why they're extra-violent every four weeks?" I asked right when Minato raised a hand.

"I don't want to know," he said. I grinned, mischievously. If he didn't want to know, it really meant he knew quite well why Kushina would have been extra scary every four weeks. Or, I realized, he really didn't know since no one explains to boys why girls become cranky and want endless globs of chocolate every four weeks. I shook my head before meeting his gaze again.

"Minato, for real, though…I'm sorry for snapping on you," I said. "I do need to resolve my issues, but…not now."

"…All right," Minato said with a nod. "Just as long as you resolve them."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, dad, whatever you say," I replied with my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I have a feeling I'm going to rub off on you."

"Don't push it."


	5. Quirks

_Young adult turmoil ahoy~_

* * *

"So why am I here again? Just to reiterate?" asked Minato, sending a questioning look at me for the fifth time today. I sighed, trying to not get perplexed, but he was sure trying my damn nerve.

"I am not leaving you to roam my apartment building in all your lonesome. I might come home to find the television thrown out the window and you arrested," I answered. "Besides, coming to my school means I can keep an eye on you."

"Isn't it the other way around?"

"Shut up."

I heard him laugh under his breath without me even turning around. With another sigh, adjusting the strap of my bag, I started to walk. "Come on. I got a hard ass teacher today. We can't be late."

"You have colorful language to describe things. Do you know that?" Minato asked. I smiled.

"Yes, yes, I do. But now's not the time to admire my use of the vulgar."

"I never said I was admiring."

"You never said you weren't admiring either."

"Touché."

"Come on already!" I grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him to the direction of my classroom. Peeking in, I sighed in relief that my teacher wasn't here yet and pulled Minato with me to the back of the room. I sank into my chair, dropping my bag unceremoniously onto the floor. Minato sat next to me.

"I have a feeling it's going to be a problem with me being here," he said slowly.

"Don't be ridiculous! There was a reason I dragged you here aside from earlier!" I replied.

"And what reason was that?"

"I have friends who may have theories. You might like them." I thought again for second. "Well, maybe not Hailie…"

Minato frowned. "Why not her?"

"Well-" I was cut off by a squeal of my name and a female body flying at me, forcing my chair to fall back with a busty brunette and me on it.

"Lissy darling! I missed you all day yesterday!" Hailie squealed before snuggling against me. I chanced a glance at Minato and wondered if the grimace was either he was struggling against a nosebleed or has never seen a lesbian sexually harassing her straight friend.

I turned my attention back to Hailie. "Um, Hails? You are aware that I am strictly straight, right?" I asked.

"That doesn't mean I love you any less, my dear Lissy!" Hailie gushed.

"Quit calling me _Lissy_."

"But I like to call you Lissy~"

"Get off of me before I die from your smothering."

Hailie got off of me so I can lift my chair back up and proceed to sit on it and Hailie clung to my arm. Her hazel eyes immediately flew to Minato. "And who is this specimen? He looks quite familiar~!" she cooed, making the poor guy jump.

"Did you forget already?" I asked her, right when the few amounts of students started walking in. "That's _him_."

"Ohhhhhhh." Hailie bonked herself on the head. "Silly me; forgetting the reason Lissy darling is having the small group of us meeting up today! I'm Hailie Bennett!"

"Nice to meet you," Minato said. "I didn't realize you were…into women."

Hailie giggled. "Well, I am a lesbian, of course! But Lissy just won't simply return my feelings!"

"Woman, I am not lesbian! Now stop reading Kuro!" I told her angrily.

"You see how cruelly she treats me?" Hailie wailed to Minato. "I'll bet you have something to do with it!"

Minato's eyes widened in alarm. "What would I have to do with this?!"

"Lissy shall be mine!" Clearly Hailie was not paying him the slightest bit of attention after all…

If my life were an anime show, I would have a huge sweatdrop on my head. Then again…what girl has a fictional character in her life?

"Hailie, stop; you're making Minato uncomfortable," I told her. "Fuck, you're making ME uncomfortable."

"It's your love for me."

"I swear to the clouds above us…"

"Do you normally have strange friends like this?" Minato asked me right when the teacher came in. I pressed my lips shut and just nodded. Although, thinking about it, with Hailie clinging on my left arm spouting nonsense to the poor Fourth Hokage sitting on my right-hand side…

I dunno whether Hailie was dubbing him a rival or was making a rape claim.

"That…was the longest two hours of my life…" Minato muttered once we were freed from the first dreadful prison of the day. I shrugged. "Good thing you guys just go straight to ninjadom after school, huh?" I asked him.

Hailie raised an eyebrow at our exchange. "Lissy darling, I must ask if there is something going on between you two. I don't like being one-upped in gaining your love."

I was going to punch Hailie one of these days, right when my cheeks were turning red. "Get. Your fucking mind. OUT OF THAT GODDAMN GUTTER," I hissed at her. Hailie tilted her head to look at Minato before smirking at something that was either amusing or fueling her one-sided competition. "Oh? Something did happen? You both are turning so red~"

"HAILIE BENNETT!" I screamed and she ran off, cackling her brunette head off.

I was panting, my hands clenched into fists, as a very awkward silence hung over Minato and me.

"Should we…go meet your other friends?" Minato suggested after a few minutes. I sighed.

"Might as well." I lead the way to the lounge, where I told everyone (Hailie included), not saying a word. I mean, Hailie was weird and possessive on most days—hell, every fucking day—but today of all days, she just had to make the fact of my trying to get Minato back to Konoha seem like we do more than that.

So even though I make no mention of Hailie's stupidity, I'm sure the genius next to me got the idea.

I pulled him into the lounge, to the table where Hailie, Jaylene (affectionately called Jay) and Cain sat. I abandoned my resolve to remain perfectly neutral once I saw Jaylene and went ahead to glomp the ever-loving tar out of her. "Jay~!"

Hailie, to my sadistic pleasure, was shell-shocked, Cain just sat there, and Minato was probably wondering where the fuck my sanity just went. I smiled, releasing Jaylene, who had a small smile on her lips. "Minato, you already met Hailie Bennett. This is Jaylene Cross and her brother Cain," I said. Minato nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hm. He really _is _Minato," Jaylene said, her eyes red because of her contacts studying Minato. "And he just appeared in your room while you were wearing you silk gown?" Her tone sounded disapproving.

I crossed my arms. "Jay, it's not like he knew I was going to wear that."

"He's still a man. I don't like that a man we do not know very well, fictional or otherwise, appeared in your apartment at your most vulnerable."

"Don't make it seem like he went ahead and had his way with me!"

"You know how Jay is, Lis," sighed Cain, his arms folded across his chest in that Sasuke-esque way. "She doesn't like that he stayed near you like that without her consent."

"Jaylene Marianna Cross, you have no right to give consent!" exclaimed Hailie, pointing an accusatory finger at Jaylene.

"Um, guys? Task at hand here," I said, trying to divert the attention of Jaylene's completely motherly-obsessive love for me. I glanced at Minato, noticing—despite his open-minded nature—that he looked terrified of my friends.

"Oh, will you sit?" Jaylene snapped at him. "We're not gonna eat you."

"Sometimes, you never know…" Minato replied to her.

I elbowed his arm. "Jay's got a short fuse. Don't push it."

With a somewhat defeated sigh, Minato took the seat by Hailie and I took the seat by Cain.

"So, what are your theories?" I asked.

"Wormhole," answered Hailie.

"You've been watching too many sci-fi movies, Hailie," commented Cain.

"And what do you think, oh King of Logic?" Hailie shot at him.

Cain sighed. "There's no way there's a wormhole because then he could have just been sent back in Lis's apartment."

"That actually makes sense," Minato said, looking toward Cain. "If it were that case, this would have been done with no fuss."

"I still don't like you near my Lissy!" Hailie flailed at Minato, causing him to inch away a bit.

"Hailie Bennett, leave him alone before you cause him an early heart attack," Jaylene scolded.

I caught movement at the corner of my eye. "…I'm gonna go get lunch. You guys want something?" I asked.

I got up when Jaylene, Hailie, and Cain shook their heads simultaneously and headed for the door. "I'll be back."

"I'll come with you," Minato said, standing as well. Obviously, he didn't want to be left with my group of weirdos. I smiled at my friends and Minato and I walked out of the lounge.

"Well, well, _well_. If it isn't the little misfit girl," sneered a voice I was so familiar with. Folding my arms and narrowing my eyes at the dark-haired, slutty nightmare I endured seeing daily. "Oh, Darla. How _nice_ to see you," I replied, emphasizing my disgust in the word "nice". Minato looked at me.

"Not a friend of yours?" he asked me.

Darla opened her mouth before I could respond. "No. You're a new face. How about you ditch the little bitch and come hang out with me instead?" she cooed, slinking up to Minato with a coy smile.

I was going to _murder this bitch_.

"You don't know Lisbeth well enough to call her something so vulgar," Minato told Darla, eyes narrowed just a bit. Darla didn't even get to protest because I shoved her away from him, hard enough for her to somewhat trip on her stupid fucking heels.

"I'm not the nicest bitch, so I'll just get to it. You will not involve him in your sleazy conquest. I swear if you even attempt it, I will punch the ever-loving fuck right out of you and I have no problem getting my hand dirty after knocking out some teeth," I growled.

Darla tried to look offended, but I knew it was for show. She wanted Minato to see my ugly side.

And honestly, this wasn't close to my ugly side.

"You should go," Minato told her before I got my hand within striking distance of her face. "I have a feeling I won't be able to restrain her from killing you."

Complete and utter bullshit, but it worked by the looks of Darla's face. She huffed before turning on her heel and stalking off. Of course, I knew she'd be back.

"Let's go get lunch," I told Minato, my voice sounding eerily cheerful. He didn't make any sort of comment, just followed me as I lead the way to the outside in search of lunch.


End file.
